How to cook chicken breast from frozen (2024)

This week's dinners just got even easier. There's no need to thaw chicken breasts if you're short on time. How to cook chicken breast from frozen. Yes, straight from the freezer!

Strangely enough, one of the most popular blog posts on this website is the how-tohow to cook frozen fishThat post was revolutionary for me. I had never thought about cooking fish from frozen until I was approached by a company that wanted me to experiment with it. It was such a successful and convenient technique that I now always have frozen fish fillets in the freezer, ready to go straight into the oven for a quick dinner.

Jump to:

1. Video: Cooking chicken fillet from frozen
2. Can you cook chicken from frozen?
3. How long do you cook frozen chicken breasts?
4. Preparing chicken breast for the freezer
5. Preparation of frozen chicken fillets, step by step
6. Podcast Episode: Cooking Chicken from Frozen
7. How to cook frozen chicken (and bread it)

Video: Cooking chicken fillet from frozen

Can you cook chicken from frozen?

The quick dinners got me thinking: could I do the same with chicken breast? Is it safe? Yes!

I have checkedUSDAand you can certainly prepare chicken breast straight from the freezer. There's no need to panic about dinner if you forgot to thaw them beforehand.

How long do you cook frozen chicken breasts?

If you cook chicken straight from the freezer, you will want to cook it 50 percent longer than if you thaw it. The average 1.5 to 2.5 ounce unfrozen chicken breast usually takes 20 to 30 minutes at 350°F. For a frozen chicken fillet you count on 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken fillet.

If you are adding bread crumbs (as in the recipe below) or if you want the chicken to brown more while it is in the oven, you can cook it at 425F for 30-40 minutes. Please note that we are using chicken breasts that are medium sized, 5-7 ounces. If yours are larger, they will take longer to cook.

Preparing chicken breast for the freezer

When you bring chicken breasts from the grocery store, be sure to package them properly. The reason is that when it comes time to cook them, you can't have a big pile of frozen breasts in the pan. They won't cook evenly at all.

When you bring home your fresh chicken breasts from the grocery store, place them in a single layer in a freezer bag. Place the bag flat in the freezer, making sure there is room around each breast. Alternatively, you can freeze them flat on a baking tray or plate and then place in a freezer bag. However you do it, after they are frozen, you can mix them together and place the bag upright in the freezer. The most important thing is that the breasts remain separated.

These chicken breasts were frozen on a baking sheet and then placed in a freezer bag. You can see that even though they touched in the bag, they don't really match.

Preparation of frozen chicken fillets, step by step

Trin 1

Preheat the oven to no less than 350°F. When I make breadcrumbs, as I did with the recipe below, I use a higher temperature, e.g. 425F, to brown the crumbs.

Trin #2

Place the frozen chicken breasts in a single layer in a pan. It is best to use a roasting pan or rack over a foil-lined pan. This way, no liquid from the chicken fillet will seep out to steam them. But I'm usually lazy and just use my regular sheet pan. minethis is really good powerfuland it works well and is ideal if you have a fever, as I often do.

Trin #3

Put them on! Season them with salt and pepper and whatever else you like.

If you want to use a sauce (such as BBQ sauce), it's best to wait until the last 10-15 minutes of cooking so it doesn't dry out on the chicken.

If you want to make a breadcrumb, see the recipe below. But I actually brush them with mustard (this helps the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken). You can use any type of mustard you like, even honey mustard.

Why use mustard there? I use mustard because it is easier to apply and stick the breadcrumbs than if you dredge frozen chicken breasts in flour and then rinse with eggs. The egg wash freezes too quickly for the chicken, causing the crumbs to not stick. This is a very simple solution.

Then sprinkle some breadcrumbs on top, mixed with a little oil, to facilitate the browning process. You can also add any spices you like. Italian seasoning with a little salt and garlic powder works very well.

Trin #4

Bake the chicken fillets 50 percent longer than normal. An average size frozen chicken breast (5-7 ounces) usually takes 20-30 minutes at 350°F. So for frozen chicken you're looking at 30-45 minutes.

If you make breadcrumbs as I did in the recipe below, the oven temperature will need to be higher (425F). But it will still take almost the same amount of time.

Trin #5

Once you discover how easy this is and how delicious the chicken is, make plans to try another frozen recipe. Actually,my favorite way to cook shrimp is straight from the freezer, Infrozen lobster tails too. To enjoy!-Christine xo

This post was originally published in April 2017 and was revised and republished in February 2021.